Rev. Danny Fisher

This week saw a major “softening” of U.S. policy towards military-ruled Burma this week.  The Obama Administration unveiled its new policy with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announcing that the U.S. would “engage diplomatically with the country’s military rulers in a bid to promote democratic reform there,” and possibly ease or lift sanctions against the junta if some of those changes took place. 

Both Amnesty International and the Wall Street Journal were quick to issue strong statements about this.  First, T. Kumar, Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for international issues, had this to say:

[Taking immediate steps to address human rights concerns such as the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and the possible torture and ill-treatment of Burmese-American activist Kyaw Zaw Lwin will be] the first test for the United States’ new policy of engagement.  Amnesty International hopes that this new engagement also covers protecting human rights in Burma. If Secretary Clinton fails to act, there will be many questions about the United States’ latest strategy to end the oppression of the Burmese people.

The Wall Street Journal‘s comments had noticeably more partisan sting to them:

Burma’s ruling junta is killing ethnic minorities, preparing a sham election and possibly cooperating with North Korea on a nuclear program. So what better time for the United States to elevate talks to a higher diplomatic level?

[...]

Mrs. Clinton justifies higher-level talks by claiming that sanctions “have not produced the results that had been hoped for.” That is often—though not always—the case with sanctions, though it is particularly strange coming from an administration that only two months ago signed the Burma Sanctions Renewal Act. As it is, Burma is one place where wealth is so concentrated in the hands of its authoritarian elite that focused sanctions can work. The Bush-era sanctions, which targeted specific junta leaders and companies, have only recently started to bite, because it takes time to gather enough evidence to implement them.

Elevating talks with the junta to higher levels and welcoming the generals to the U.S. may look like smart diplomacy. But it is a blow to Burma’s democrats, the very people the Obama Administration should care the most about.

I’ll have more about all this in my next “On the Buddhism Beat” post for Shambhala Sun Space.  Keep your eyes peeled.